AITOR KARANKA believes Middlesbrough’s players were handed a reminder of what will be required to be a force in the Championship this season at Deepdale.

Boro struggled to breakdown Preston North End in their opening game of the season yesterday but still managed to earn a point to get off the board.

Yet returning across the Pennines last night the Middlesbrough head coach was frustrated at the way his side have started the campaign – and is demanding improvements.

“It was not ideal,” said Karanka. “We came to win the game. Preston played very well, but I want to win every single game and we didn’t. Before pre-season I think everyone thought everything would be easier and that we would come here and win. That was a big mistake.

“I knew that it would not be easy after pre-season. Preston were very organised. They know that’s how we play. They played the way they wanted and we didn’t play the way we wanted.

“It was more about them wanting the 50-50 balls more than us, they wanted it more than us. We have to improve. This was Preston and we have Bolton and Derby in the following weeks.

“I want to win every single game. Whether it is pre-season, Derby or Bolton, I want to win every game. I don’t want excuses.”

Middlesbrough, who play Oldham on Wednesday in the Capital One Cup, only created two clear cut chances. Grant Leadbitter should have done better with an effort in the first half, while Kike saw his header turned away for a corner after the restart.

But there were definitely problems in getting behind the Preston defence, but Karanka insists that he does not have any concerns about a lack of goals – which was a problem his side were accused of last season when promoted sides Bournemouth, Watford and Norwich all scored more.

He said: “We came close to getting promotion and we had six players up front who scored about 50 goals. I have a squad I want to have and we have a squad who wants to learn. It was a good thing today to learn that it will not be an easy season for us.”

Middlesbrough are working on a deal with Blackburn to sign Jordan Rhodes from Blackburn, although the two clubs are yet to agree a fee for the £14m-rated front-man.

“I don’t want to speak about Rhodes, he is one player who scores goals, I don’t want to be asked about him at every single press conference. I want to speak about my players,” he said.

“We need players who score goals and we now have Kike and Cristhian Stuani. We now need to bring in more players who are wingers or other positions, who can score goals and Jordan is one on the list. We have a lot of players on the list and for this reason we have to try to bring the right one.”

Stuani was given his first 14 minutes as a Middlesbrough player when he was introduced as a second half substitute for Kike. The £3.6m signing from Espanyol barely got a touch.

But Karanka said: “He has come here this season and has scored a lot of goals. That was his first game here and he needs time to improve because the Championship is not easy for him. Last season we had a lot of chances, but we only had two or three here. More will come.”

But Karanka was full of praise for the 17-year-old defender who adapted quickly to life in the Championship. Dael Fry, from Middlesbrough and with the club since the age of seven, looked composed and unfazed on the first team stage after being asked to fill in for the injured Ben Gibson.

Karanka, who will be monitoring the fitness of winger Albert Adomah who finished the game hobbling, said: “Dael was the best. He showed everybody like he did in pre- season that he has personality. He was in the Championship, away from home, in front of a big crowd and he showed everyone that he has the personality to cope. He is a very good player.

“Dael can play on Wednesday at Oldham. I haven’t had any doubts since last Saturday. I knew last Saturday he could cope. He was the best for me. Not only about his performance because he made some mistakes, but he is only 17 and he showed how mature he is and what a good player he is.”